Carnation
by xXxKatsumixXx
Summary: When Kairi is on her way to deliver a cake for her parent's cafe she runs into a boy about to end his life. As Kairi gets to know him, she starts to help him put his life back together. R/R :3 rated M for violence, sexual contact, alcohol abuse, and drug abuse. TRIGGER WARNING.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Another little story I'm starting. Now don't get me wrong, I am a SoraxKairi fan, but I thought I should mix it up a little bit ^^ Now I don't think you realize how hard it was for me to choose between DemyxxKairi and ZexionxKairi O.O. I was sitting in my basement coming up with all kinds of stories to write. There were so many options that I thought my mind was going to explode! HAUU! ~ '' Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story! I worked really hard on it and am going to make as less grammer and spelling errors as possible!

It was a bright evening in June, not a cloud in the sky. The sun shown brightly through the windows in the cafe and light bounced around the room, almost creating a reflection in the tables. Kairi stood at the cash register counting the money they had made so far. Her parents had owned The Stardust Cafe for over six years. In the beginning they didn't get a lot of custermers. As the years passed, the cafe became a place where buisness men would come to get their morning coffee and where lovers would come to have a meal. But lately the cafe has been a little empty. They just had enough to pay rent.

Kairi sighed as she emptied the cash register into a large bag. She remembered when it used to be so heavy she had trouble bringing it to her parents who were in the kitchen in the back of the cafe. Now it was just as light as her purse, and that wasn't really heavy. All she carried in there was her make-up, a pocket knife, and a few extra bucks to take the bus places when she couldn't ride her bike.

Her shoes made a clicking sound as she walked across the polished wooden floor. She set the bag of cash on the kitchen table and quickly walked over to the staircase where her and her parents lived. The cafe was downstairs and the house was upstairs. "Mom!" she called.

Kairi's mother came rushing down the stairs, her long red hair flowing behind her, "Oh, Kairi! What is it! Do we have a custermer?" The words came out of her mother's mouth so fast that Kairi could hardly understand her.

"What? No.. the place is empty, as usual."

Her mother frowned, the light from her dark blue eyes faded, "Oh.. well what do you want?" there was a harsh tone to her voice that made Kairi cringe. She knew that tone anywhere. It was the 'Hey-get-out-of-my-face-because-I'm-really-busy-and-have-no-time-to-deal-with-this' tone.

"I.. I just wanted to let you know that there's delivery across town I have to make and I won't be back for a while."

Kairi's mother perked up a bit. Kairi could tell she was happy someone was buying their foods. She responded, "Alright! You're father and I will stay here and wait for people to show up for lunch hour. Be careful!" and with that she rushed back up the stairs.

Kairi stood there for a moment, confused. Then she walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge taking out a vanilla cake with white and orange frosting on top. There was something missing though. The letters! Kairi set the cake on a platter and rushed to the frosting cabnet. She searched franticly for the yellow frosting that looked best with the orange frosting. The woman who ordered it had asked for it to say "Happy 15th Birthday Olette" across the top. Kairi had just never gotten around to it. She finally found the yellow frosting and brought it over to the cake. It was already in a frosting dispenser so it was pretty easy to apply. She carefully wrote the letters and numbers onto the top of the cake. The color matched perfectly. She put the frosting away and put the cake into a box that said "Thank You for choosing Stardust Cafe!". She quickly put a black sweatshirt on over her white tanktop and zipped it up halfway. Now she had to deliver the cake... all the way across town..

She sighed and picked up the box. She couldn't risk taking her bike because if she dropped the cake it would take at least 10 hours to make another one. She only had a half an hour to get to where she needed to go. She rushed to the cafe part of the building and opened the glass door. The sunlight blinded her. When she could finally see we walked quickly to the nearest bus stop.. 14 blocks away. She got there just in time. She got in line and waited till it was her turn to board*. When it was her turn she held the box with the cake in it under her left arm and reached into her pocket with her right one.

_oh no.. _

She had left her wallet in her purse.. which was in her bedroom on her computer desk. She looked at the bus driver and apologized, quickly getting off. The cursed at herself for forgetting her purse. She looked at her watch as the bus drove away. Only 20 more minutes! She remembered the address and looked around for a street sign. She was on Beach Lane. That was good! All she had to do was cross the bridge and the house was only a 10 blocks away. Kairi estimated the time it would take her. She was guessing about 15 minutes. The bridge wasn't that long after all. She crossed the street and made a right turn onto the bridge. She was halfway across when something caught her eye. Or someone.

There was a boy standing on the railing looking down at the river below. He was wearing torn jeans, sneakers, and a black V-neck. His hair hung in his face but Kairi could almost make out the saddness in his eyes. What was he doing?

"E-excuse me?" Kairi said as she walked up behind him. He jumped a little and glanced at her.

"What!" He seemed alarmed, but his voice was soft and sweet.

"What are you doing up there? You going to get yourself killed."

The boy smirked, "That's my intention." He said as he turned back to face the river.

Kairi's eyes got wide, "You're _trying_ to kill yourself? That's insane! Get down from there!"

The boy turned around to face her again. He was about to say something before a gust of wind knocked him off his feet. He started plumbiting toward the river. Kairi didn't hesitate. She dropped the box without thinking of what she was doing and pulled herself up and over the railing. He was only a few inches within her grasp as they were falling. She reached out for his hand and grabbed it bringing him closer. She wrapped her arms around him not planning on letting him go. They both hit the water. It was a pretty deep river, but they didn't get very far. Kairi held the boys hand tightly as they floated back up to the surface. She gasped for air as she swam against the current trying to reach land. The boy didn't seem to move at all. He had passed out from shock.

Kairi could finally feel the ground under her and started dragging him closer to land. She layed him down in the grass and pressed her ear against his chest. He wasn't breathing. She quickly put her hands together and started the heimlich maneuver.

_1..2..3..4.. breathe!_

She placed her mouth over his trying to force air into his lungs. Still no response. She placed her hands over him again and pressed down.

_1..2..3..4..BREATHE!_

She again placed her mouth over his forcing in more air. She lifted her head as the boy stared to cough up water. She smiled and laughed, "You're alive! Oh thank god!"

The boy slowly opened his dark blue eyes and looked at Kairi, "You..saved me," he tried saying between coughs, "Why?"

Kairi's expression grew calm, "Because no one deserves to die like that.."

"But you don't even know me!" The boy sat up and propped himself up on his elbows, raising his knee to make it more easier for him to get up. He didn't take his eyes off of Kairi's. It was as if he was trying to find the answer himself.

"_You_ don't deserve to die like that.." she quickly wrapped him in a hug. Even though they were dripping wet with cold water, she could feel warmth. When he didn't hug back she started to blush and pulled away. She looked down for a moment then looked back up at him. He tried to hide his expression behind his hair. "I-I'm sorry.. I guess I'm just really glad you're ok.."

He looked at her. Kairi could have sworn she saw a smile. It was small, but still there. "My name is Zexion,"

She blushed a little more, "I-I'm Kairi."

"Kairi.. Kairi?" He repeated her name, trying to get a last name.

"Kairi.. I-Izumi."

"Izumi? You're parent's own The Stardust Cafe not far from here right?"

"Y-yeah! How did you know?"

"My parents used to take me there all the time when I was younger. Your mother makes the best cherry pie by the way." Kairi could hear him chuckle. This made her smile. Then she remembered why she was out here in the first place.

"Oh no.."

"What?"

"THE CAKE!"

A/N: I worked very hard on this chapter! I hope you liked it. Like, halfway into it my mother told me there is going to be ANOTHER snow day tomorrow! So I'll try to get to work on the second chapter. R/R! I LOVE YOU ALL!... Have a waffle.. ('#') chuuuu~


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: WHOO! Chapter 2, yay. I noticed 2 spelling and/or grammer errors in the last chapter x . x I hope this time I'll pay attention to what I'm typing and won't be so tired. (1:01 PM here)... let's get started shall we? ^ ^

"I am so sorry Mrs. Strife," Kairi continued over the phone, "But I can't get the cake delivered.. there was an.. uh.. accident in the kitchen and the cake we had already made was ruined." She pulled the phone away from her ear to avoid the angry voice of Mrs. Strife. Now she knew where her son Sora got his short temper problem. Zexion was standing in the doorway to the kitchen trying so hard not to laugh. Kairi shot him an angry glare.

"Well if you can't even get a simple cake ready for my daughter's birthday then I might as well take my buisness elsewhere!"

Kairi put the phone back to her ear, "I promise I won't mess up again! Just please, forgive m... hello?"

_BEEP...BEEP...BEEP!_

Kairi stood there for a moment before she hung up the phone. She held back tears. How was she going to tell her parents she had lost another customer? Zexion seemed to notice her saddness and walked into the kitchen, "I'm sorry.."

Kairi let out a small laugh, "For what? You didn't do anything." Even as she said this she couldn't look at him.

"If you had not tried to stop me from.. killing myself.. you would be at that woman's house right now delivering the cake and collecting your pay."

"Oh, like I was going to let you kill yourself! What reason did you have for doing it anyway!"

Zexion didn't answer her, he only looked at the floor. Kairi let out a small sigh and apologized, saying she shouldn't have jumped into a question like that. Zexion was about to say something before he was cut off by Kairi's father coming down the stairs, "Kairi, have you seen my car-" he spotted Zexion, still soaking wet from the "swim" he and Kairi had. "Keys.. who's this?"

Kairi looked at her father, "Daddy, this is Zexion. A.. uh.. friend of mine."

"A friend, huh?" He looked Zexion over several times as if he was searching for something, "Not a..BOYfriend?"

Zexion's face turned red, "No, no Mr. Izumi! I'm just a friend of your daughter's. We met while she was making a delivery."

"A delivery?" Kairi's father's face lit up like a christmas tree, "How'd it go darling?"

"Oh.. uh.. fine daddy, just fine!"

_LIAR!_

Zexion looked at her with a confused look on his face. Like he was trying to ask her why she just lied to her father.

"Well I'll leave you two alone now. Your mother is away at a friend's but she has her cell if you need her," He found his car keys on the counter and walked into the cafe area, "Let me know if you need help with anything and I'll be back as soon as I can, I love you!"

"Love you too!"

And with that he was gone. Kairi could hear his car pull out of the driveway and down the street. She walked past Zexion and into the cafe area, sitting down at one of the tables. Zexion slowly followed her and sat across the table from her. "So," he said trying to start up a conversation, "What do we do now?"

Kairi thought for a moment, then looked him in the eyes, "Well, how about we get into some dry clothes. We don't want to get sick with a cold now do we?" She stood up and told Zexion to follow her, "I'm sure my father has some clothes that will fit you for the time being. I'll just set your clothes outside in the back to dry. My parent's bedroom is upstairs, first door on the right and my father's dresser is the one on the left side of the room. Just bring your clothes down when you're done changing."

Zexion nodded and slowly walked up the stairs. Kairi waited till he was in her parent's bedroom before she opened a door under the stairs that led to her bedroom. She closed the door behind her and opened her dresser. She pulled out a pair of jeans, a dark red T-shirt, socks, bra, ect. After she was done changing she combed out her wet hair.

"Kairi!" Zexion called out her name. It caught her by surprise and she screamed. The door burst open and and Zexion shouted, "What's wrong!"

Kairi calmed down a little bit, "Nothing's wrong you just scared me.. good god.." she sat down on her bed and tried to slow her breathing.

"I-I'm sorry," Zexion apologized, "I just came downstairs and you weren't anywhere to be found. I got worried."

Kairi giggled, "Well I'm fine, no need to worry."

"I already hung my clothes out to dry so you wouldn't have to do it."

Kairi looked at him. Zexion was wearing her fathers jeans and white T-shirt, "Um.. you didn't have to. I could have handled it.."

"It was no trouble, really. After all you did save my life, and risked your life in the process."

Kairi smiled at him for a moment, "Thank you." It was hardly a whisper but Zexion heard her. He smiled in return and sat next to her.

"No need to thank me."

Kairi's pet bird chirped happily in his cage waiting for his lunch. Kairi giggled and got up to go get the crackers off of her dresser. She opened a new pack and took one out. She slipped it through the cage's bars. Zexion got up and stood next to her, "Aww, what's it's name?"

"Silvey," Kairi replied, "Mom picked out the name. He's been my best friend since I was 13."

"Best friend huh? You don't have any other real friends to talk to?"

Kairi frowned, "I didn't have many friends, still don't. Everybody in my school thought I was weird."

"Well I don't think you're weird at all..."

Kairi could feel her face get really warm. Was she blushing? She couldn't tell. And even if she could tell, what would the reason be for doing so? She didn't have any feelings for Zexion.. that she was aware of...

There was a long pause before Zexion stood up from the bed, "I should prolly be getting home.."

Kairi giggled, "But you just got here. Why not stay a while?"

"Umm.. it's getting kind of late. Dad doesn't like it when I get home really late.."

"Oh... okay then," Kairi frowned, "I guess I'll see you around then.."

"Yeah..."

Zexion was about to walk out of the bedroom door before Kairi grabbed his wrist. Without even thinking she asked, "Can I have your number?"

_Oh crap! _

He starred at her for a moment before he smiled and laughed, "Sure, got a pencil and a piece of paper?"

"Oh, I'll remember it. Don't worry."

_Phew.._

"Okay," Zexion paused for a moment, "920...356...4485."

Kairi smiled, "Thanks."

"And you're sure you'll remember it?" Zexion smirked.

"Yeah, I'll remember."

"And you'll call me?"

Kairi decided to play it cool, "Maybe I will... maybe I won't..."

Zexion laughed, "When should I bring your dad's clothes back?"

"I'll let you know."

"You sure he won't realize there's an outfit missing from his closet?"

"I'll explain it to him when he gets home."

"Kay.. talk to you later." He was about to walk out the door again. He stopped for a moment to turn and look Kairi in the eyes, "Thanks... for saving my life."

"Umm... Yeah... Anytime..."

Zexion smiled and finally left. Kairi stood there and listened to the bell that rang when Zexion walked out of the cafe's front doors.

_920...356...4485...920...356...4485...920...356...4485_

She repeated the number several times in her head before she entered it into her cell phone. She hoped Zexion would make it home okay.

She still wondered what would happen that would make someone want to end their life so early. Zexion had his whole life ahead of him. Why would he want to cut it short? Then again... what did she know? Nothing. She hardly knew the guy. But it felt like they had known eachother for years. Had been childhood friends or something like that. She knew it sounded pretty corny, but that's what it felt like to her. She didn't know why she felt so comfortable around him.

She looked at his number one more time before she closed her phone and sat down on her bed. Silvey chirped and swung from the swing that was in his cage. Kairi looked at him and smiled, "Do you like Zexion?"

He chirped again as a response.

Kairi giggled and put a blanket over Silvey's cage. He stopped chirping. It was as if he went right to sleep. Kairi fell onto her bed and starred at the wall.

_Do I like him?_

**AN: Goodness... it's been so long since I updated this story... started at 1:01 PM... finished at 9:19 PM THE NEXT YEAR... I'm so sorry I've been gone for so long x . x My brother doesn't get off the computer anymore. Plus I'm trying to find time to spend with my boyfriend who lives in another city not far from the one i live in. I guess I just never found the time to sit down, turn on the music, and write. I'm so so so so SO SO SO SOOOO SORRY! I'll try to write more often when I get my new laptop. I hope to get it before high school starts. Anyway, again, IM SORRY. Thanks for reading n - n R/R ~**

**- Jade**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Oh, mah, gawd. How long has it been? Another YEAR!? Almost two. But I got my laptop, got smarter, and now I'm ready to write again! Let's see if I can pick up where I left off!**

**..*.**…*.*..*.*..*.**…*..***

Zexion took in a deep breath as he walked up the stairs of the newish apartment building he and his father lived in. His dad was not going to be happy at all that he was coming home. Not one bit…

**~FLASHBACK… OOOH~**

"_You good for nothing piece of shit! Get out of my fucking face!"_

_He punched me; once, twice, three times._

"_Dad, you're drunk! Get in bed!"_

"_Don't tell me what I am you worthless faggot!"_

_I shielded my face from his angry blows, "Dad!" I fell back into the kitchen table knocking countless beer bottles onto the linoleum floor. They shattered into millions of pieces. I did my best not to fall onto their shards. "You wouldn't be doing this if mom were still here!" I stood up with anger, "You're the reason she took her life!"_

_He grabbed me by my collar, "What the fuck did you say!? Your mother was a stupid whore!" He raised his fist; I shut my eyes tightly ready for him to strike. But all I felt was the air his fist moved as it went right past my face and into the table…_

_I opened my eyes slowly. He was sobbing… gritting his teeth…_

_He threw me to the side like I was some ragdoll, "Get out…" He placed his hands on the table firmly and his head hung low, "Get out and don't come back…"_

_I stared at him in shock… "But… Dad… you want me to..?"_

"_I said… get the fuck out." He stood up straight and faced me. I didn't hesitate; I made a break for the front door in the loft. I sprinted down those steps with no intention of ever looking back; at anything._

**~END FLASHBACK…WHOOO…~**

Zexion wasn't looking forward to coming back. But he had things to grab before I left again.

_I'll leave and I won't come back Dad… you won't ever have to see my face again…_

Zexion reached behind one of the paintings the apartment had hung up and grabbed the key to his father's room. He unlocked the door as quiet as possible, making sure not to disturb his dad with his entrance. Ever so slowly, he opened the door. It creaked just like his bones would when he walked. They ached from many beatings; his whole body did.

As he stepped inside the loft, he noticed his father wasn't anywhere in sight.

_He's probably passed out in bed._

Zexion let out a sigh of relief and made his way to his own bedroom. It was just as he had left it; messy. He grabbed a travel suitcase and threw it onto his bed open. He opened his top dresser drawer and pulled out several pairs of socks and boxers, and then he stuffed them into his suitcase. He emptied most of his dresser, containing five pairs of pants and ten t-shirts. He knew it was risky to not travel light, but he wasn't planning on ever coming back.

Zexion heard the floor creak and spun around.

_Dad…_

"What are you doin' here boy?"

"You…" Zexion perked up and stood strong, "I'm leaving, like you asked Dad… I came back to get my things."

Zexion's father stepped closer, but Zexion didn't move, he only stood stronger, "You can't leave, you pay the rent."

"Not anymore."

His father's breath reeked of alcohol, "What was that boy?"

Zexion found his voice, and boy, did he use it, "Fuck you Dad! I'm leaving, and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it!" Zexion slammed his suitcase shut.

Before he knew it, his father had him by the neck. But Zexion wasn't going to let him take advantage again. He elbowed his father in his ribs with as much force as possible. His father stumbled back and held his chest. It was clear Zexion had broken a rib or two. He crouched down and grabbed his little league baseball bat from under his bed. Raising it over his head, he spoke, "You don't own me anymore!" And brought it down… hard onto his father's shoulder. He collapsed.

Breathing heavily, Zexion dropped his bat, grabbed a wad of cash and his cellphone from the back of his dresser drawer, shoved them into his pocket, and left with his suitcase full of clothes. This time, he wasn't ever looking back.

"Kairi, can you lock up the café? I don't think we're getting any more customers for the rest of the night."

Kairi didn't hear her mother speak; she was too busy staring at Zexion's number shining on her phone, wondering if she should call him to make sure he got home alright.

"Kairi… Kairi~?"

"Huh!? What?"

Kairi's mother sighed as she tied her hair back into a long pony-tail, "Lock up shop please."

"O-oh… yeah, sure thing."

"Thank you. Your father and I are going out for the rest of the night to the new diner across town. Gotta check out the competition you know?"

Kairi laughed a bit and put her phone in her pocket, "Yeah, I know."

Her mother smiled, "It's so nice to hear your laughter again," she pinched Kairi's cheeks gently and laughed.

"M-Mom! Go on," Kairi laughed.

"Ooh… alright," She let go, "If you get hungry, there's some leftover pasta in the fridge upstairs." Her mother grabbed her green handbag and walked to the backdoor, "Call if something goes wrong. No parties, no boys, no satanic rituals-"

"I know the drill mom! Go have fun."

"It's not fun! It's business."

They both laughed as her mother made her way out the door, "I love you sweetie!"

"Love you too mom!"

The back door clicked shut and locked. Kairi sighed in relief,

_Finally all alone…_

Kairi walked into the café area, grabbed the keys from the front desk, and locked the front doors. Shoving the keys into her back pocket, she sat down at one of the tables. The sun had just started to set. Kairi liked the night time. The moon was always so much prettier, sitting in its canopy of stars . As she waited for her night show, she felt her phone vibrate. Quickly, she yanked it from her pocket and leaned back in the chair. Opening it, she grinned from ear to ear.

_Zexion_

It was a text message. She opened it:

_Hey, I was wonderin' if I could stop by the café for one of those cherry pies._

**.*..**…*.**.*…*.*..*.**.**

**Author Note: Unlike the other chapters, this one took me no more than an hour. Had it all played out in my head. R/R! Thank you 3**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello my pretties! Just got back from musical rehearsal a half hour ago, and now I'm ready to kick back, relax, and write for you. Enjoy n – n**

**..*.**…*.**..*…*.**…*.**…**.*..**

_Oh my god! Oh my god! He wants to visit! He wants cherry pie, oh, my god, PIE!_

Kairi jumped from her seat and rushed to the back of the kitchen. Her mother always kept a couple cherry pies in the fridge, but she didn't want frozen pies! Zexion deserved something freshly baked, warm and inviting! She got out all the supplies she needed, right down to the freshly picked cherries and cookie crumbs for the crust. Kairi glanced at the cat clock that hung in the café area.

_7:20pm_

The cat's eyes moved back and forth opposite its tail. Kairi zoned out for a moment, then pulled herself together.

_He'll be here any minute! I shouldn't even be letting him inside; if mom found out she'd kill me!_

Kairi didn't care though. She considered Zexion her friend, and he deserved to be treated like one. Family even. She sprayed the pie pan with 'no stick' spray, then poured the cookie crumbs into the pie pan and crushed them down. As she was pouring the first bag of cherries into the pan, she heard a banging at the café doors.

_He can't be here already, can he!?_

She put the bag of cherries down on the counter and strode into the café area. Through the windows she could make out two silhouettes'. The porch light shown down on them, but they were wearing black shirts and pants; not to mention, ski masks. Kairi could hear them pick at the lock.

_Shit…_

Kairi didn't hesitate; she made a break for her bedroom under the stairs. Silvey heard the commotion and began chirping and flapping his wings madly. Kairi shushed him and locked her bedroom door as fast as she could, fumbling with the key. Every door in the house could be locked and unlocked with the skeleton key Kairi's parents would give her when they went out.

Silvey continued chirping and screeching.

"God dammit, shut up!"

As Kairi screamed at the bird, she heard glass shattering and footsteps from inside the café. She quickly shut her bedroom light off and crawled under her bed. Her parents had always told her that if someone were to break into the café, lock herself away and hide under her bed. Kairi never thought she'd ever have to, not in this town. But she was wrong. Wrong, wrong, _wrong._

_Please don't find me, please don't find me!_

From behind her door, she heard the footsteps get closer and closer. Voices were muffled, so she couldn't hear a single word. All of a sudden the doorknob rattled and shook. Kairi crawled back further under her bed and clasped her hand firmly over her mouth and nose to keep from making any sound.

The men behind the door kicked it down and flipped the light switch on, "Search the drawers. There's gotta be more cash there."

"Sure thing."

Kairi shut her eyes tightly as she listened to the men search her room. The second she opened her eyes to sneak a peek, one of the men crouched down and looked her straight in the eyes.

_Oh god…_

"Ay, Seifer, lookie what we got here."

Seifer poked his head under the bed to look at Kairi; his mask was off. Rai took his mask off also, reached under the bed, and grabbed Kairi by her wrist. She screamed and kicked, but it did no use. They yanked her out from underneath the bed and pinned her against her bedroom wall.

The tears began to fall, "P-Please, if it's money you guys want, I-I can show you where we keep it; j-just please let me go."

"You keep her here, Rai. Make sure she doesn't leave this room. I'll be back; I'm going to check the upstairs."

Rai nodded and secured Kairi to the wall "Got it."

Seifer left quickly with an empty pillowcase in his hand. Kairi started to panic, "P-Please let me go!"

Rai grabbed a sheet from Kairi's bed and stuffed it in her mouth; enough to get her to gag, "Shut your mouth!"

Silvey had gone silent along with Kairi. Rai's eyes wandered Kairi's body hungerly, "Y'know… you really are a pretty girl. It'd be a shame to ah… let that go to waste right now."

_You pig!_

Before Kairi knew it, she was pinned down to her own bed, gagged and bound by Rai's hands. He pinned her arms above her head with one hand, sat down on her legs, and worked on her jean's button. Kairi tried to scream, but the sheet down her throat kept her from emitting any sound. She had never felt more helpless in her entire life. Kairi thrust and twisted her hips furiously, trying to get him to get off, but he was too heavy. Rai unbuttoned his own pants after pulling hers down. The shit-eating grin he had on his face made Kairi want to vomit.

_Oh god, somebody, help! Mom, Dad!_

Suddenly, someone rushed into the room and knocked Rai over the head with a suitcase. Kairi quickly crawled to the corner of her bed, yanking the sheet from her mouth. She coughed and took a deep breath. She brought her head up to witness Zexion pinning Rai to the ground, beating his teeth in. Blood was all over his knuckles. Kairi wanted to cover her eyes but she knew she had to do something. She grabbed her pants and reached into her front pocket, pulling out her phone. As she was opening it, Seifer came into the room, "What the fuck!?"

He kicked Zexion off of Rai and stood Rai on his feet, "You fucking retard! I told you to keep an eye on her!"

Rai couldn't speak, his face was beat and swollen to a pulp. Seifer moved his gaze to Kairi, then to her phone. Kairi noticed… "I… I already called the police! They'll be here any minute!"

Seifer muttered something under his breath, grabbed Rai by the arm, and made a break for the door, dropping his bag of cash. They were gone. Kairi got up quickly and rushed to Zexion's side, "Oh my god, are you alright? Did you break anything?"

Zexion nodded quickly, "I'm fine, I'm fine. Are you alright, did they hurt you?"

Kairi didn't respond, she only wrapped Zexion in a tight hug, "Thank you… thank you…"

Zexion began to blush madly, realizing Kairi was only in her shirt and panties. He did his best not to look as he hugged back, "Y-You should put your pants back on…"

Kairi quickly backed off , her face was as red as Zexion's, "S-Sorry!"

"It's alright," Zexion replied as he turned his head away.

Kairi slipped back into her jeans, "Okay, you can look now."

Zexion looked back at her, his face only slightly red now, "Are you sure you're alright?"

She nodded, "I promise… " she looked down at the floor, "I… I was making your cherry pie before they showed up… a-and I hid… b-but they f-found me and…"

Zexion pulled her back into a hug, "I don't care about the pie... I'm just so glad you're alright… I wasn't sure what to think when I saw the broken window…"

They held each other for a long while before Kairi's eyes spotted the pillow case of cash. She pulled away from Zexion and reached down to pick it up, "I'll be right back." She made her way upstairs, opened the closet on the left side of the hall, and shoved the pillowcase onto the top shelf. When she came downstairs, Zexion was staring at the half prepared cherry pie.

"So… I guess we're even now, huh?" Kairi spoke.

"Even?" Zexion turned around to face her.

"I saved your life this afternoon… and you just saved mine in return.

"I… I guess I did..."

Kairi smiled at him warmly, "How bout we get that pie ready for you, hm? I'm sure you'd enjoy a snack after your little run in."

Zexion laughed, "Little?... Alright. If you insist."

"Go ahead and grab yourself a table, I'll take care of it."

"A…Alright…" Zexion made his way to the café area and sat down at the table closest to the kitchen, "Are you sure you don't need any help?"

"Yeah! I got it down." Kairi finished preparing the pie and stuck it in the oven to bake.

"So… uh… what are you going to do about this window?"

…_FUCK!_

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**A/N: Took me about a day to get back to writing the other half of this. Lol. Hope you enjoyed! (The musical premiers this weekend, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday for the middle schoolers! I'll be done with it and have tons of time to write before you know it!) Hope you enjoyed! R/R!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello darlings, I suddenly had the urge to write tonight. I've actually been playing a lot of different games, and I have decided I will soon be coming out with a new fanfic dedicated to Ib. (If you haven't played that game, you really should because it's fu*king amazing) And I've also thought about making one for Mad Father (Play that one too if you haven't already) . I would have started them both now, but I know some of you are waiting for my next chapter of Meeting You Was No Accident! So, let's get on with the story shall we?**

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Kairi's mother stared at her with eyes of panic and fury; she could nearly feel them burning into her. "What do you mean they just ran off!?"

"Just a couple kids mom! I was in the kitchen when I heard the window break, and I saw them run off with a bat." Kairi lied, "And I called Zexion over because I felt like I needed someone here, you know, just in case someone were to come back."

Kairi's mother moved her gaze to Zexion and hesitated for a moment… "What did I tell you about boys in the house?"

Her father sighed out quietly, "Amalphea, please, what matters is that he was here to protect Kairi," he rested his hands on his wife's shoulders as he tried to get her to calm down, "Besides, Zexion's a good kid; he means no harm."

Kairi watched her mother lower her shoulders and relax. Zexion spoke up suddenly, "I'm sorry for the intrusion; if you'd like me to leave I will. I was just on my way out of town anyway." He motioned toward the suitcase that was leaning up against the wall; a big dent in it where Rai's head had taken a blow to.

Kairi's eyes shot over to Zexion. _Leaving town!?_

Her mother spoke up, "No, it's no intrusion at all. Thank you for looking after Kairi, we really appreciate it," she shook off her husband's hands and he walked upstairs; probably to call a friend to help repair the window. "Is there anything we can do for you?"

Zexion smiles, "Kairi actually gave me some of your world famous Cherry Pie, I think that's enough thanks."

Kairi looked at her mother, "Uh-uhm… Zexion used to come here when he was little; he and his mom loved your cherry pies, mom."

Her mother's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, "You ate here? Do I know your mother? What's her name?"

Zexion's eyes blinked quickly, "Uh… you may have known her… Veronica Reed?"

Kairi's mother gasped, all eyes fell on her, "…Your mother… was Veronica Reed... Oh dear… I… I can't believe I didn't see it sooner. You look so much like her."

"You were friends with my mom?"

"Friends, are you kidding me? We were best friends… when I heard that she-… I didn't leave my bedroom for a week. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for you and your father; you were still so young."

"Seven… I was seven."

"Still too young to lose your mother," Kairi's mother wrapped Zexion in a tight hug as her father came down the stairs.

"I called Mr. Baxter down the road; he'll be over in the morning to help replace the window."

Kairi's mother let go of Zexion and walked over to her husband into the kitchen to discuss business. As soon as she was sure they were far enough away, Kairi turned toward Zexion, totally forgetting the previous conversation, "You're leaving town?"

Zexion sighed out, "I'm leaving home, Kairi. I need to find somewhere to stay that's close to school; at least until I finish my senior year."

"Wait, you left home? Isn't your dad worried sick?"

Zexion scoffed, "He could care less about what happens to me," his eyes wandered the café for a moment… "Look, I should get going. The last train leaves at about midnight, and if I don't catch it, I'll be stuck here till morning."

And then it happened, the words tumbled out of Kairi's mouth faster than she could think them, "Stay here."

Zexion blinked in confusion, "Stay here? Like, in the café? Kairi are you insane? Your parents' would never let me stay anway."

She grabbed Zexion by the wrist, "Please, I don't want you to leave!"

Silence…

_I… He's my only friend… the only one I can trust; I can't let him go!_

Kairi found her voice again, "Please… there's a shed out back; we can turn it into a bedroom and you can stay there. Really, I can convince my parents into letting you stay-

Zexion laughed, "Kairi, is that really a good idea? We go to different schools, and I really don't want to trouble your parent's like this."

"Please!"

More silence…

"…alright."

Kairi squealed and grinned.

"But only if your parents say yes."

"I promise, I will make them say yes."

She left Zexion behind as she rushed to the kitchen to where her parents were sitting, "Mom, Dad."

They cut off from their conversation and their gazes fell upon her; her heart started to pound ad her palms started to sweat, "Mom… Dad… I was wondering-…"

Her mother spoke up, "Wondering what darling?"

"If… If Zexion could stay with us; just until he gets back on his feet!"

"S… Stay with us? Sweetie, his father has to be waiting for him at the train station, they're moving aren't they?"

"No… they aren't moving. Zexion actually ran away from home and he doesn't have anywhere to stay; please, he won't cause any trouble, I promise."

Kairi's father piped in, "Yes, Kairi, Zexion can stay."

Her parent's looked at each other, "Tyler, are you sure about this?"

"Yeah, I'm sure he won't cause any trouble. He won't have to pay rent either, he could work here in the café."

Kairi hopped and cheered, "Oh, thank you , thank you, a million times, thank you!" She wrapped both of her parents in a hug and ran back to the café area, "Zexion, you can stay!"

Zexion stood up from the table he was at, "Really? They said it was alright?"

Kairi nodded and wrapped him in a hug, which was kind of awkward because she was about half his height. Zexion chuckled, his face crimson red, "Alright, let me go thank your parents and get my things put away. It's getting late."

Kairi let go of him and apologized. She watched as Zexion grabbed his suitcase off the wall and walked into the kitchen to talk to her parents. She couldn't help but smile. As she sat down at one of the café's tables, she replayed the events of the night over in her head. She couldn't even imagine what would have happened if Zexion hadn't shown up…

_And what was is mom said about Zexion's mom? They were best friends… maybe Zexion and I have met before, but I just don't remember because I would have been only 4 or 5; being that he was a senior now and I'm only a sophomore._

Kairi's mind wandered about Zexion and what his parents were like. His mother had obviously passed; she wondered why Zexion may have left his father. Did they not like each other?

Kairi's mother walked into the café and sat down across from Kairi, "Hey kiddo."

"Hey mom," Kairi smiled, "Thanks for letting Zexion stay by the way."

"Anything for Veronica and her little man; but remember, he stays out in the shed, and you are not to go in there without another friend."

Kairi didn't really focus on what her mom had just said and nodded, "So it's official; he's staying and working here?"

Her mother laughed quietly, "Yes darling." She leaned over and pecked Kairi on the cheek, "Now, your father is getting the shed all ready for Zexion, you guys can see each other in the morning, I want you in bed; we open early tomorrow."

"Of course, again, thank you!"

They said their goodnights and Kairi went back to her bedroom to change into her pajamas. They weren't really pajamas though; only a white tank-top and a pair of purple boy shorts, her favorite pair. As she walked out of her room she bumped into Zexion, who was wearing nothing but boxers and holding a spare toothbrush her parents must have given him. He jumped back, "I-I thought you had already gone to bed, I was gonna go brush my teeth."

Kairi focused on Zexion's face as much as she could, refusing to let her eyes wander and her face go red, "Uh… m-my parents already went to bed… I was just going to brush my teeth too… Y-You can go first though!"

"No, it's alright; ladies first."

Kairi laughed a bit, "I'm no lady."

There was a short silence… "Then," Zexion spoke up, "You won't mind if we brush our teeth together?"

"Together?" she laughed harder, "Like newly-wed couples do?"

Zexion laughed with her, "Why not, dude?"

Kairi shoved him playfully before they made their way upstairs to the bathroom. It wasn't that big to begin with, but they didn't mind standing beside each other. They both went down to spit out their toothpaste at the same time, bumping their heads on each other's gently. It was awkward at first, but Kairi thought she could get used to it.

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**A/N: Only took me a couple hours; I'm sorry it's so sloppy. I'm really tired and don't have time to start the next chapter or any of my other stories. I really hoped you enjoyed this one though. Well, goodnight! R/R!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey guys! It was REALLY hard to decide whether to start this chapter of "Meeting You Was No Accident" and a new fanfic for Ib. I chose this chapter, but THEN I'm going to start my Ib fanfic. If you like horror and fantasy, you can go check it out once I start it; I'd really appreciate it. Thank you for being so patient! You guys are just awesome.**

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It was nearly 6:40am when the sun began to rise; Kairi's mother would be getting up to open shop any minute. Plastic wrap had been placed over the window that had been shattered the night before, and the glass had been swept up and a rug had been placed under the window; just to make sure customers weren't to step on any missed shards during clean-up. Kairi woke up to the sound of Silvey chirping like a mad-bird. She groaned, "Ugh! Silvey, it's so early!" She got up stumbling toward the cage and trying not to get her feet tangled in the sea of blankets. They may have lived on a very warm island, but Kairi's room had to have been the coldest one in the entire house, being it was under the stairs.

As she fed Silvey a couple crackers, there was a quiet knock at her door, and then the voice of her mother, "Kairi, it's almost time to open shop; you better be ready."

_Shit, I still have to take a shower…_

"Yeah, I'll be ready in about twenty minutes mom."

"And can you check on Zexion? Just knock on the shed door to see if he's awake?"

"Yeah, sure thing mom." Kairi had totally forgotten Zexion was a new member of the house. She was glad he was staying with them, that way she could continue to build their friendship. She listened as her mother walked back up the stairs to her bedroom. As soon as she was sure her mom had closed her bedroom door, she bolted out of her room, up the stairs, and into the full-bathroom that was on the far end of hallway. A hot shower sounded really nice, she had been drenched in sweat since yesterday morning.

As she stepped into the shower, she suddenly realized she had forgotten to grab clothes from her bedroom to change into. She shrugged it off and decided she'd just take a really quick shower. She'd have plenty of time to rush back down to her bedroom before any customers showed up. Breakfast was probably the busiest part of the day; people on their way to work, picking up desserts or bagels on their way there because they didn't have time to make any.

Kairi turned the water off and hopped out of the shower, then wrapped a baby blue towel around her body. She didn't even bother to squeeze the water from her hair, which ran down more than half-way her back when it was wet. She flung the door open, and there stood Zexion about to knock; still in his boxers. She didn't realize he was standing there until she bumped right into him.

"I-I'm sorry!" he panicked, "I was about to knock and I-I… you…"

Kairi's face started to burn, and she didn't even look up at Zexion's face. She just rushed past him and bolted down the stairs to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her gently.

_Thu-thump-thu-thump-thu-thump-thu-thump…_

She felt her heart flutter around in her chest, her towel nearly falling off her body from the race of embarrassment. She slid down against the door and sat on the floor; Silvey cackling in delight. Kairi shot a half-hearted glare at the bird, "Oh, you can shut up."

There was a quiet knock at her door, and Zexion's voice slipped through the keyhole and under the door, just a mere whisper: "I'm sorryyyy…"

Kairi couldn't help but smile and laugh a little, "It's alright." She spoke quietly, "Mom's expecting you to work today, so you better take a shower and get dressed."

"What clothes should I wear?" He asked a bit louder.

"Just casual clothes; nothing too beat up though."

"Alright, thank you."

Kairi listened as Zexion rushed off back up the stairs. Her heart had slowed down to a reasonable pace as she stood up and walked over to her dresser to change. She was putting on her bra when her mom cracked the door open. Quickly, she grabbed the towel from her bed and covered her body. "I'm sorry to interrupt sweetie, I just wanted to let you know you and Zexion can take the day off today."

"What? Why mom, breakfast is always a busy time."

"I know. But your father and I thought that you've been working hard enough. Take a break darling, go out and have fun; it's s'posed to be around 80 degrees today, you could go out and get some ice cream or something."

"We have ice cream here, mom."

Kairi heard her mother sigh in frustration, "Just go out, okay? Your father and I have got everything under control."

"A… Alright…" The door closed and Kairi dropped the towel onto the floor. Sylvie squawked a couple times. _A day off, with Zexion? Hm… Doesn't sound too bad; maybe I can pry more information out of him. I really would like to get to know him better._

She slipped into her pale-blue shorts and a purple tank-top. As she combed her hair out, she noticed something shiny on her bedroom floor and she bent down to pick it up. In her hand was a hair pin, with the prettiest flower on the end of it; Bright blue with lining on the edges of the petals, and a sapphire colored diamond in the center of it all. She remembered; this was a gift she had gotten from her grandmother the day before she passed. It had belonged to her sister before her, and she had received it from a soon-to-be king. According to her grandmother, her sister and the soon-to-be king had fallen in love on a trip far from Destiny Islands. It was a forbidden love; and he had given this pin to her as a promise, a promise to come back for her after he was crowned and make her his queen.

Kairi set the pin back on top of her dresser…

_He never did come for her though… but she never forgot about him…_

She finished combing out her hair and walked out of her bedroom. As she walked into the café area, Zexion was sitting in the table closest to the kitchen. He was all dressed wearing a grey V-neck and a pair of cargo shorts. Kairi smiled, "Cargo shorts? You didn't seem the type of person to wear them."

He smiled back as he stood up to greet her, "Hey, can't own a closet full of pants on an island that is practically beside the sun."

Kairi giggled, "I guess you're right. So, hey, mom said-"

"That we had the day off today? Yeah, she told me the moment I stepped out of the bathroom. She kind of scares me."

"Oh, don't let her scare you," Kairi said as she smacked Zexion's arm playfully, "She's a really nice lady; all's you gotta do is warm up to her. Besides, she did know you at one point, right?"

"Yeah, but I hardly remember what she was like, or even had the brain to comprehend human kindness."

"That's alright, you'll get to know her again; you'll be staying here long enough to learn."

Zexion laughed, "So, where do ya wanna go?"

"Well, what time is it," she said as she glanced at the clock, "7:30… no place is going to be open, not at least till around 9:00. You just wanna walk around until then?"

"Sure, why not? I'd like to walk with you."

"Great!" Kairi forced the butterflies into the pit of her stomach as she grabbed Zexion by the wrist and dragged him out the door quickly. When they were a block down from the café, she let go. She wasn't exactly sure what to talk about. Kairi had never really made any close friends in her 16 years on Destiny Islands, so she had no idea how to speak to a friend.

All of a sudden, Zexion spoke up, "So… about what you said yesterday, about having no friends…"

Kairi fumbled for her words, "Uh-Uhm!... What about it?"

"…No? No friends at all?"

Kairi smiled sadly, "All the kids think I'm weird …"

"Weird? I don't think there's a weird bone in your entire body."

Kairi blushed slightly, "R-Really?"

"Yeah, I'd love to be your friend."

"I thought we were already friends; you know, I'm letting you stay with me and all?"

"Yeahhhh… but we never made it official." He laughed.

Kairi laughed with him, "Alright, I hear-by declare you, Zexion Reed, my first, and only friend."

"What about Silvie? Isn't he your friend too?"

"Of course he is, but he isn't really useful when I need advice. And I can never come to my parents for advice; I don't want to bother them with my problems."

"Then bring your problems to me."

"W-What?"

"I said; bring your problems to me. I will always be here for you Kairi."

Kairi felt her face drowning in blush, and the butterflies push themselves up toward the surface, right up to her throat…

"T… Thank you… And I promise I will always be here for you to talk to."

"Nahh, you don't want to listen to my problems."

"What makes you think that?"

"There's just too much of them for I myself to deal with. You wouldn't want to hear them all."

"Try me." They had made their way to a park not too far from one of the many beaches the island had. Kairi grabbed him by the arms and sat him down on the closest bench. An early morning jogger passed by, they could hear the music blasting from their headphones.

Zexion chuckled, crossing one leg over his knee and leaning back against the bench, "What do you want to know."

Hundreds of questions raddled through Kairi's mind, but she wasn't sure which one she wanted to ask. She didn't want to offend Zexion in any way that would make him run away from her. She decided to begin with a question that would answer every single other question she had to tuck away for now: "Tell me everything?"

"Everything?"

"Yeah, start from the time you were born."

"Wow… that's a while back," Zexion chuckled, "Let me see if I can remember."

Kairi laughed, "Okay, start from what you do remember."

"That's not a whole lot actually. I don't remember my childhood up until after my mom died."

Kairi lost her smile and stared at Zexion intensely, "...You were seven, right...? If you don't mind me asking… how…?"

"She stepped out in front of a car early in the morning; about a week before my eighth birthday."

_Suicide…_

"Did you see it coming?" The words fell from her mouth before she had actually thought about them.

Zexion stared at a frog that hopped across the bike trail, "I did actually… you see… my dad was actually an alcoholic. And when he got drunk… he would get violent."

"You mean he'd beat you?"

_Shut your fucking mouth already Kairi, god damn! You're so nosey!_

"And mom… I guess she couldn't handle it…" he was quiet for a moment… "I actually found some letters to my aunt that were never sent. She meant for my aunt to come and take me away. She knew she was never going to escape my dad, so she needed to move fast and not tell anyone where she was going… guess she chose the alternative."

Kairi thought for a moment… "That's strange, don't you think? She wouldn't leave you behind like that. I'm sure she loved you very much, Zexion."

A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, "I was her little man; we did everything together. My mom liked to bake. I actually think she picked it up from your mom, now that I think about it."

Kairi smiled, "Did you enjoy baking with her?"

"Of course; mom actually kept the recipe for your mom's cherry pie, along with several other pie flavors in a shoebox that she left in her closet. When she died… dad wouldn't let me anywhere near their room."

Another question, "Did he become a heavier drinker after… she…"

"Yeah… that's why I went to go kill myself… I just wanted to escape… I wanted to see mom again." Kairi could tell that Zexion was about to cry.

"D-Don't cry," She set her hand on Zexion's leg, "We don't have to talk about it anymore… I'm here for you…"

Zexion wiped his eyes on the heel of his hand and smiled…

"Thank you… Thank you Kairi…"

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**A/N: thank you for reading my darlings! I think I'll go to bed, let your minds wander for a bit :3 I'll get around to typing another chapter during my study hall tomorrow (totally have nothing better to do) Hope you enjoyed n – n R/R~**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Summer is almost here darlings! Sadly, I'll be forced to go camping for most of it. I'm trying to find as much time to write as I can. HELLOOOO THREE DAY WEEKEND!**

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Nearly two hours had passed since Kairi and Zexion's trip to the park. Kairi learned as much as there was to learn about Zexion and his life. As much as she hated prying for information, she couldn't help it. Everything Zexion said was so intriguing to her.

"So, Kairi, you really haven't told me anything about yourself. I feel like I've told you my whole life story and I hardly know anything about you."

"Oh, I don't want to bore you with details about my life."

"Common, it wouldn't be fair if you knew everything about me and I knew nothing about you."

Kairi was about to say something else before a voice spoke up from across the park, "Zexion! Is that you!?"

Both of them lifted their heads up and spotted a boy with flaming red hair and Jade Green eyes; the eyeliner he wore really made them pop. The boy approached them with a wide grin across his face, Kairi didn't recognize him.

"Axel? Hey, man!" Zexion stood up to greet Axel while Kairi stayed seated with a tiny smile plastered on her face, she wasn't exactly sure what do to.

_Axel… huh, must be one of Zexion's friends._

"Oh, man, where you have been," Axel piped, "You didn't show up for school all week, I was starting to worry. Where have you been?"

"Sorry dude, things have just been tight at home with my dad."

They greeted each other with a bromantic hug, Kairi held in her giggles. Axel totally disregarded Kairi's presence, his eyes filled with concern, "He didn't hurt you did he? You know you can always crash at my place, right?"

Zexion laughed, "Actually… I moved out."

A grin spread across Axel's face, "Really!? Oh, wow, man, where are you staying? We should totally have a party wherever you're staying. The guys have been worried about you too."

There was a small gust of wind and the pollen was flying. Kairi tried holding herself back,

_Oh god, oh god, oh god-_

"Ah…Ah..AH-CHOO!"

Zexion turned his attention back to Kairi, "Bless you!"

Kairi had her arm shielding her face, she could feel her nose starting to tickle again, another sneeze threatening to release, "T-T-Thank y-y-ah-CHOO!"

Now both Zexion and Axel's attention turned toward Kairi. Axel raised his eyebrow with a small piercing, "Who's the chick, dude?" His eyes wandered from Kairi's chest down to her long pale legs. Zexion glanced back at Axel, catching him in a tiny day-dream daze,

"Axel, this is Kairi; she's the girl I'm staying with."

Axel snapped out of his day-dream, "No way, you're shacking up with this babe? DUDE! She is hot!"

Kairi's face flushed red, partially from allergies and partially from Axel's complement.

Zexion shot a half-hearted glare at Axel, "I'm not "Shacking Up" with Kairi. Her parents own The Stardust Café in town."

Axel's eye lit up in delight, "Really!? Oh, wow, I used to go there all the time with my parents! I didn't know the owner's had a daughter."

Kairi lowered her arm from her face and wiped some of the spit off with her tank-top, "Pleasure to meet you, Axel..."

Axel chuckled and bowed gracefully, "T'is an honor m'lady."

Zexion rolled his eyes, "Same old womanizer."

Axel stood back up straight; he was a bit taller than Zexion, "I can't help it! It wouldn't be fair to keep all of this charm to myself; may as well share it with the ladies." He winked in Kairi's general direction.

Kairi's face flushed red yet again, "S-So you and Zexion go to school together?"

"Yeah; in fact we've been best friends since we were in diapers."

"Oh common," Zexion spoke, "We were hardly friends. You used to beat me with my action figures on the playground and dump sand in my pants."

Axel smiled, "Let's let bygones be bygones, shall we?"

Kairi's face returned to normal, then all of a sudden her stomach emitted the loudest noise she had ever heard, "O-Oh!"

"Are you hungry, Kairi?"

She nodded, shyly looking away.

_How embarrassing…_

Axel leaped over to the park bench beside Kairi and wrapped his arm around her shoulders pulling her against his chest, "Why don't ya say we catch a bite to eat? I am in the mood for a burger, lunch is on me!"

Kairi pulled herself away from Axel's grasp and before she could protest Zexion spoke, "Sure. How does that sound Kairi? I'll just pay Axel back when we get back to your place."

She sat silent for a moment still suffering from a small heart attack when Axel had his arm around her, "I-I couldn't possibly-"

"Commonnnnn," Axel whined, "My treat; anything for my closest bud and his girl."

Kairi hopped up off the bench, "I-I'm not his girl!"

Zexion frowned playfully pulling Kairi against him, "Oh common!"

Kairi's face turned red yet again, but she didn't fight against Zexion's grasp, "I-I mean… I guess so-"

"Great!" Axel hopped back up, "Let us ride then, shall we?"

Zexion linked his arm through one of Kairi's and Axel linked his arm through her other. Kairi couldn't help but smile.

_Wow, two friends in two days._

She had never been used to being treated with such kindness, especially by boys. She figured she could get used to the whole idea of having friends.

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**A/N: And that concludes this chapter! Something short and to keep your mind going. I'm going to get going on the next one later tonight. I've gone and given myself a headache. Hope you enjoyed! R/R!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I have nothing better to do with my life than write. Enjoy n – n**

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The happy trio arrived at a nearby outdoor restaurant decorated in red and white Christmas lights. Zexion released Kairi's arm, "Hey, Axel, you and Kairi go pick a seat. I'm gonna go order the food. What do you want Kairi?"

Kairi thought as Axel handed Zexion a twenty dollar bill from his wallet, "How about a corndog."

Zexion smiled, "Got it." Kairi watched as Zexion walked into the restaurant. Axel dragged Kairi over to a picnic table furthest from the building. He sat across from her hesitantly. There was a small moment of silence before he spoke up,

"So, how'd you meet a tool like Zexion?" he smiled.

Kairi giggled resting her hands in her lap. She started to feel very warm, the temperature must have risen at least 8 degrees. "We met a couple days ago. I was running a delivery for my parent's bakery and I…"

Kairi didn't want to mention Zexion's suicide attempt, it would only make things tense…

"He was on a walk, and we ran into each other on the bridge leading off Beach Lane. We just kinda got to talking and it was an instant friendship."

Axel eyed Kairi carefully, "Zexion isn't one to go for walks by himself. Are you sure that's the real story, Kairi?"

Kairi could feel herself heat up even more, her thighs started to stick to the picnic table seat making her really uncomfortable, "O-Of course. I-I mean, I just assumed he was out for a walk. I-I mean, what else would he be doing?"

Axel scowled, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the picnic table, "Zexion has a small history of suicide attempts, Kairi. That wouldn't have been his first time jumping off a bridge."

Kairi's eyelids fluttered in astonishment, "B-But Zexion said-"

"Do you know anything about Zexion?"

"I-I-"

All of a sudden a hand holding a corndog appeared in front of Kairi's face, "Lunch is served!" Zexion sang. Kairi smiled a bit and took the corndog from Zexion's hand. Zexion sat down beside her sitting Axel's burger in front of him, "Just how ya like it bud."

Axel grinned in delight, "Sweetttt."

Zexion grinned back as he took a tortilla chip and dipped it in a small cup of melted nacho cheese, "We could always go for some ice cream after this. There's enough money for a tub of any flavor we want." Axel shrugged and kept eating his burger, his eyes locked on Kairi quietly. Kairi squirmed uncomfortably; the silence was deafening. She wasn't exactly sure what do say to Axel after lunch. "Well…?" Zexion popped another tortilla chip in his mouth, "How about it?"

"Uh-Uhm… how about you pick Zexion?" Kairi started eating her corndog; it was greasier than expected.

"Noooo, we all have to agree on a flavor."

"W-Well how about-"

Before Kairi could spit out her sentence, Axel finished his burger and spoke with a full mouth, "Why don't we all just go to the bar later tonight?"

Zexion scoffed, "Yeah, and how are we going to be able to buy anything? None of us are twenty-one yet."

Axel swallowed the remains of his burger, "I know a guy."

Zexion frowned, "And you know I don't drink alcohol; you remember what happened last time?"

Kairi finished her corndog, "Wait, what happened last t-"

"Commonnnnn, you'll be fineee. Kairi will take care of you, right Kairi?"

"R…Right…"

_Can a girl get her thought out in the open without an interruption? For god's sake…_

"Great!" Axel stood up and threw his paper plate in the nearby garbage, "So, we'll head out to the bar tonight, right? We're gonna have a kick ass time?"

The thought made Kairi a little uneasy. Alcohol was one of Zexion's biggest problems at the moment, did he really need to be drinking? Zexion smiled and chuckled, "Sure, I could use a night out to clear my head. And I trust Kairi will get me back to the café safely?"

Kairi didn't hesitate to answer, "Of course! I-I mean, I probably won't drink a whole lot anyway, so I'll keep an eye on you till we get home." Kairi felt her stomach churn at the idea, but if Zexion and Axel wanted to spend the night drinking, she wasn't one to stop them. Besides, what's the worst that could happen? Her number one goal was to make Zexion happy, she couldn't ask for anything more. If Zexion was happy, then she was happy.

Hours passed, and the trio spent the day talking about upcoming movie premiers, classes, music, and Zexion's plans for the future since he had run away from home. Axel became fonder of Kairi as the day went on. He found her very attractive actually. He could tell though, by the way she spoke and acted toward Zexion that she had more feelings for him than just friendship. He'd been with many other girls before, and all of them had given Zexion that look one time or another. Zexion was always the one to attract the girls Axel was attracted to.

Was there something wrong with him? Or was it just that Zexion was every girl's type. He would never know, and he really didn't care. He just wanted Zexion to be happy.

Axel shoved his hands in his pant pockets and rolled lint around in distress. He could have really gone for a cigarette at the moment. His brother had introduced him to the terrible habit, but it was just the way he coped with things.

Kairi found herself being more and more attracted to Zexion as the day went on. She found him irresistible in every way possible. The way his violet eyes sparkled in the evening sunlight, the way he spoke to her with such a cool tone, the way he would shove her playfully and joke about things; she loved all of it. She loved all of him. But she knew that there was no way in hell they could possibly ever be more than friends. She was happy the way things were anyway.

Kairi looked over at Axel occasionally. She thought he seemed a little tense, "Is something wrong Axel? Are you alright?"

Axel took his hands out of his pockets quickly and shook his nerves out, "Yeah! I could just really use a drink or something. I'm a little tired too; we've been walking all day. Are you guys ready to head to the bar?"

Zexion danced happily, "Yeahhhhh! Bring on the whiskey!"

Axel laughed and wrapped his arm around Zexion, "Easy, tiger!"

Kairi was shocked, she had no idea Zexion was the type of guy to drink something so strong. She shrugged it off,

_I guess you can never judge a book by its cover…_

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**A/N: WHOO! I'm on a roll! There are so many ideas in my head; you guys have no clue what's gonna happen! I'll just let your mind's wander until I finish the next chapter! R/R!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I'm sorry it's taking SO LONGGGG. I keep getting distracted by the idiot box. I'm doing my best though, forgive me n – n PREPARE FOR SHOCK. I DID NOT SAY THERE WOULDN'T BE A… Just read :3**

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"Welp, it's all taken care of, come on in guys."

Kairi tilted her head, "You mean they're just going to let us go in and drink? What did you do, Axel?"

Axel winked at Kairi, "That's for me to know and you to never, ever, find out." His lips parted and he licked them lustfully.

Kairi felt a chill run down her spine; maybe it would be best if she didn't know. The three of them walked into the bustling bar. There had to be at least fifty people inside. In one corner there was a birthday party going on for a woman turning 28, a small group of college guys sat in another corner of the bar, and sitting at the head of the bar was a group of men trying to get with a few girls. Kairi didn't feel comfortable at all. It was so loud, so rambunctious.

"Common guys," Axel cheered, "Let's order!"

Again, Kairi shrugged off the uncomfortable feeling. She was here to have a good time with her two friends and her fear of big crowds was not going to get in the way of it. They all sat down at the head of the bar as Axel signaled the bar tender, "Yo, Marly!"

A man with pink hair tied back in a ponytail and a lip piercing skipped over to where the trio sat. He spoke with the most feminine accent Kairi had ever heard, "Hey, Boo!" The man planted a kiss on Axel's cheek and giggled, "What can I get you and your friends tonight?"

"Two glasses of whiskey, and a cosmopolitan for the young lady here."

The man smiled; "Coming right up dolls!" he skipped back over to the other end of the bar to get the drinks ready. Kairi had gotten a glimpse of his name tag before he left. "Marluxia? Is that his real name?" she asked Axel.

"Why of course it is. I would know, he's my brother."

Kairi almost choked on her own spit, "Y-Your brother? He seems a little…"

"Gay? Yeah, of course. And I wouldn't have him any other way."

Kairi found it nice that Axel was so open minded. She had never met anyone gay before either. And she had never met a gay guy in person before. They seemed so much more normal than the media had portrayed them to be. There was loud shouting coming from the group of college guys, "CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!"

It didn't take Kairi long; from the back of the crowd of boys, she spotted Rai and Seifer having a drinking contest. Her stomach turned to knots and she sat up straight on her stool.

_Keep calm Kairi! Keep calm… maybe they'll get too drunk to even remember you! Keep calm, keep calm._

Memories from the night of the break in swarmed around in her head. She remembered the way it felt being pinned underneath Rai; the memory made her hurl forward onto the bar, she wanted to throw up. Zexion rested his hand on the middle of her back, "Hey, Kairi, are you alright? You know, we don't have to drink if you don't want to. We can always go back to the café and watch a movie or something."

Kairi sat back up straight, "No, it's alright. I want to have a good time tonight, really. Don't you?"

"Of course I do, but if you aren't comfortable with drinking and you want to go home, I can understand."

Marluxia returned with a tray of drinks and set them in front of Zexion who was sitting in the middle. There was a napkin with a cellphone number scribbled on it with purple pen and dark red lipstick kissy mark beside them sitting under Zexion's glass of whiskey, "Number: courtesy of the young lady over there." He motioned over to the birthday party going on. Kairi looked with Zexion; not too far away from them sat a beautiful girl wearing a white mini-skirt and a baby blue tube-top. Her long blonde hair flowed down her back in curls and her eyes were the deepest blue Kairi had ever seen; they couldn't be real.

Kairi looked away quickly and kept her comments to herself. She glanced at Zexion quickly; the way he looked back at the woman made her disgusted.

_I guess he's just the kind of guy who goes for skanks…_

She scoffed and sipped her cosmopolitan, occasionally stirring it with the little umbrella.

Zexion had to have been on his fifth glass of whiskey by the time Kairi was finished with her drink. Axel didn't really do much but stare at his reflection in the ice cubes that were starting to melt in his glass. Zexion had already made his way over to the ditzy blonde haired blue eyed floozy. Kairi was starting to feel a buzz, and could really have cared less what Zexion was doing. She scooted over a stool, then held her hand out, "Marly! Another cosmopolitan, please."

Marluxia made his was over to Kairi and Axel, "Are you sure doll? You're starting to look a little red in the face."

Kairi was starting to get a little irritated, "Did I stutter?"

Marluxia held his hands up in defense, "Alright, alright, another cosmopolitan coming right up." It took him no longer than ten seconds to come up with the drink, and Kairi had no intention of letting it get warm like her last one had. She chugged it down in a mere 5 seconds flat.

Axel lifted his head from his drink, "Woah, Kairi! You shouldn't be drinking that fast! You're gonna make yourself sick!"

Kairi heard laughter from the other side of the bar where Zexion and the blonde woman were and quiet moans. She gagged; she didn't even want to look up to see what they were doing. She had a feeling whatever it was involved his hand up her skirt. It didn't take long before her head started to buzz and her vision started to get fuzzy.

"A… Another… "Suddenly she grabbed what was left of Axel's whiskey and swigged it down. Kairi's stomach hurled up and threatened to leap from her throat as she set the glass down. Axel took a hold of her and stood her up,

"Hey, let's get you to the bathroom before you hurl all over yourself."

Axel told his brother he'd be right back and rushed Kairi to the female restroom. It was small, but Kairi was too exhausted to give a shit. She got down on her knees in front of the public toilet and forced all of the alcohol out of her stomach. Axel pulled her hair back from her face making sure she it didn't get drenched in bile and sweat, "I didn't take you for much of a drinker…"

As Kairi finished, she sat back against the wall breathing heavily, "I'm… I'm not…"

Axel frowned and grabbed a paper cup from the dispenser on the wall and filled it with water. He handed it to Kairi carefully making sure she wasn't going to drop it. Her hands shook violently, but somehow she managed to swig all of the water down, cleaning her mouth of any vomit was left. "You can't just force drinks down like that, Kairi. You could really hurt yourself."

Kairi's hair started to stick to her face, she crushed the paper cup in her hand and threw it against the wall and shouted between gritted teeth, "I don't care!"… And then she began to cry, "I just want a friend… I came out here to have a good time and to make Zexion happy. And he decides to wander off and screw with some… some _whore!_"

Axel chuckled and sat beside Kairi, "Common, you act like he's your boyfriend…"

She laughed with him, "I know, I shouldn't even be angry… I hardly know him, right?"

Axel frowned again, "I'm sorry I blew up on you like that… It's just… the last time Zexion let himself get close to a girl, she broke his heart… after they broke up, we went to the bar and he got himself shit faced drunk. Some douche ended up pissing him off and there was a huge fight; punches were thrown, stools were smashed, and he got thrown in jail for a week…"

Kairi had no idea… suddenly she felt awful. Zexion was drunk; he probably had no idea what he was doing… Just like his father. Kairi felt the need to apologize. She tried standing up, but then felt a rush of exhaustion and collapsed under the pressure, "W-Woah, woah!" Axel sat Kairi up against the wall and brushed her hair from her face, "You're burning up…"

Kairi could barely make out what he was saying, barely see his face, and she didn't even bother to keep her eyes open anymore.

Axel stared at Kairi for a moment…

_She's so beautiful… even covered in sweat and reeking of alcohol… _

A thought crossed Axel's mind,

_N-No! That would be taking advantage of her. Besides, I've only known her for a day. And what if she remembered and ended up telling her parents or someone? _

Axel shut his thoughts out… he felt that if he didn't do this now, he would never get a chance to again. God, why did Zexion have to get all the girls Axel wanted a chance with; it just wasn't fair.

Kairi moaned softly, her lips parting just slightly; moist, waiting. Axel couldn't contain it anymore; he had to take the chance. He carefully took Kairi's face between his hands; her breath was hot on his face.

_Thu-thump, thu-thump-, thu-thump, thu-thump_

He leaned in closer. Just one more inch, it wouldn't last more than three seconds. Before he had a chance to go in for the kiss, the door flung open and in walked Zexion and the blonde woman. Axel pulled his face away from Kairi's and let go of her cheeks, cursing at himself. The blonde giggled as Zexion backed her into the bathroom and pressed her up against the sink kicking the door closed behind him.

Axel stood up in a rage, grabbed Zexion by the shoulders and turned him around. His neck was covered in hickeys and bite marks… "I… I'm taking Kairi home. You're welcome to join us if you'd like." His eyes wandered down Zexion's arm to his hand that was covered in a sticky, clear liquid; Axel was disgusted. "On second thought, I'll have Marluxia take you back to the café."

Zexion burped, reeking of whiskey and grinning, "That's alright mate, just more time for me and Fio here."

The blonde giggled and turned Zexion back around facing her. Axel didn't hesitate to pick Kairi up in his arms, still out cold, and rush her out of the bar; notifying Marluxia to take Zexion to their house after his shift was over. Seeing Zexion any more tonight would kill Kairi. The red head layed her head against Axel's chest, murmuring quietly, "Zexion…"

Axel sighed and started walking back into the main town. There weren't a whole lot of cars or people out at this hour, so it was quiet, and Kairi stayed sound asleep. As he approached the café, he noticed a note taped on the front door. Squinting, he read,

**-Gone out to get some shopping done. Dinner is in stove.**

** Love, Mom**

Great, her parents weren't home, so it wouldn't be a problem getting her inside. He walked in and a sudden feeling of nostalgia rushed over him. Memories of him and his parents coming into the café to share cinnamon buns and fresh fruit smoothies. He really missed it; maybe he could stop by in the morning and ask Kairi to make him some.

_Assuming she isn't suffering from a hangover._

Axel nudged Kairi gently, "Hey… Where's your bedroom champ?"

Kairi's head shook slowly as she uttered, "S…stairs... u… under…"

_Under the stairs?_

Axel walked over to the stairs in the kitchen area of the café and sure enough, there was a door under them. He held onto Kairi tightly and opened the door stepping into her bedroom. It was small, but who was he to judge? Maybe this was the only other bedroom aside from her parent's. He carefully layed her down on the bed. He stripped her of her clothes, assuming she didn't want to be sleeping in dirty ones. Then he pulled the white comforter over her body and brushed all the hair out of her face…

_I will never understand what girls see in him… must be something I don't have…_

Axel planted a kiss on Kairi's forehead, and then left the room, making sure to turn the light off and shut the door behind him; leaving Kairi to her dreams of Zexion.

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**A/N: SURPRISED!? I know you are. Don't worry; it's still a Zexairi fic. You need drama to create such a fantastic story. You need a LOVE TRIANGLE! R/R! :3**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Good morning my darlings! I wish you all a pleasant memorial day; and to celebrate I bring you another chapter. I will, again, be writing for the rest of the day. I have also decided to write in my 4****th**** hour study hall for the rest of the school year, thus updating a whole lot more. Enjoy~**

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The temperature had dropped around 9:45pm to a nice 70 degrees, and all the clouds had disappeared from the sky. Axel couldn't decide if he wanted to go back to the bar and confront Zexion or just go home and wait for him and Marluxia to show up. He didn't drink enough to get a buzz, which disappointed him a little. Axel wandered the streets with his hands shoved in his pockets. Eventually he arrived at the bridge leading off Beach Lane. He leaned over the railing and looked down at the river below.

_So this is where you decided to jump…_

Zexion's first attempt at suicide had been when they were fifteen. Axel remembered it clearly; the endless bottles of pills open and laying in Zexion's bathroom, the way his body shook and his eyes rolled back into his skull…

Axel shook his head. No matter how much he wanted to forget about that night, he couldn't. The only reason Axel hadn't come to check on Zexion for the week he was missing from school is because it was final's week; and if he wanted to pass any of his classes he couldn't miss any days to study.

As he stared down into the water he saw his faint reflection below. The river was calmer at night than it was in the morning, which was really nice. He could spot a trout swimming against the weak current. The stars formed a canopy for the crescent moon overhead. Axel had finally relaxed for the first time all night. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck, moaning in relief.

A pair of headlights started to approach the bridge. Axel turned around and squinted in the direction of the approaching car. It was Marluxia's beat up 2003 Toyota. Axel quickly walked over to the edge of the road and held his arm out signaling his brother to stop. As soon as Marluxia spotted Axel, he stopped and rolled down the windo, "Hop in little brother."

Axel smiled and walked around the car, and opened the passenger door. He brushed the seat before sitting down; Marluxia liked to smoke in his car, so it was often covered in ash that Axel didn't appreciate getting on his clothes. As he sat down and closed the door, Marluxia put the car back into drive and continued down the bridge. In the backseat, Axel heard a groan and then a bag crinkle. He looked behind him and spotted Zexion laying in a pool of his own sweat, vomiting into a paper bag and panting.

Axel smirked ,"So, maybe going to the bar wasn't the best idea for you."

Zexion just groaned in response; he was too exhausted to talk. Marluxia spoke up, "Caught him in the female restroom after that blonde girl stormed out covered in vomit; she didn't look too happy."

Axel chuckled and turned back around facing the road, "He's in no shape to be having sex anyway; drunk or not."

"What do you mean?"

"You remember that girl we brought with us?"

"The red head?"

"Yeah, her name is Kairi; her parents own The Stardust Café down a few blocks."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah; Well, she didn't come out and say it, but Zexion tried to kill himself again…"

"Oh dear… that's the second time this year; maybe he should stay with us for the summer?"

"He ran away from home, Marly."

They began to drive toward the apartment complex Marluxia lived in, "Ran away? Like, _ran ran_ away; packed bags and everything?"

Axel nodded and stared out the window, "He's staying with Kairi now."

They pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex and turned the car off, "I see… Well," Marluxia spoke as he put the keys in his pocket, "How are we going to get this loser inside?"

"…I take his arms you take his feet?"

"Got it."

After forcing Zexion out of the car and pulling him up the stairs to Marluxia's hotel room, they layed him on the couch in the living room. Axel threw a blanket on top of Zexion and followed his brother to the kitchen. He sat at the table, "Hey, do you have a cigarette to spare, Marly?"

Marluxia scowled, "Axel, you told me you were trying to quit."

"Yeah? Well I'm done trying; I need one now."

Marluxia sighed and grabbed a pack of cigarettes from the kitchen counter and tossed them in Axel's direction, "Take it outside, will you? I don't want the smoke detector going off and having the manager bitch at me again for smoking indoors."

Axel stood up taking a cigarette from the pack and settling it between his lips, "Sure thing." He said, pulling a lighter out of his pocket and rushing out the front door. Lighting it quickly and inhaling deeply, Axel relaxed.

_Quitting smoking almost seems impossible. Especially when you have to deal with all the pressure put on you by your suicidal best friend…_

Axel had no idea what he was going to do with Zexion, no idea at all. He shoved the lighter back into his pocket and stared around at the other apartment's windows. Everyone's lights were off except for the party going on in room 8B and the couple living in 2A a floor below having sex with the lights on and the curtains half open.

_How trashy…_

"Hm… crashing a party doesn't sound too bad right about now." Flicking his cigarette butt into the parking lot below, Axel made his way over to apartment 8B and let himself in.

_I got nothing to lose…_

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**A/N: Andddd scene! Whoo, I am hungry. I'll start writing again after I eat :3 R/R**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I'm sorry it took me half of my damn summer to begin writing again. I completely forgot about it! Now before you say, "Pfft, well maybe I'll forget to read your fics, bitch." I am now, sitting down, writing again! Don't get your panties in a bunch! Enjoy~**

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As Axel opened the door to apartment 8B, the scent of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana filled his nostrils. It was a deadly combination, but he was just here to have a good time and forget about tonight's events. There were a group of college guys at the kitchen table playing a game of cards with too much enthusiasm; Axel wasn't very interested. A couple tall, skinny girls wearing shorts with their wail-tails showing and bikini tops stood in the corner of the living room listing to some stoner in a hoodie making a perverted joke; they laughed. Axel wasn't sure if they were interested, or just drunk and horny. Axel closed the door quietly trying not to make his presence known. Before he could step in any further, a hand clasped down on his shoulder and a slurred voice spoke, "Axel, ma man, wher ya been!?"

Axel turned his head and came face to face with an intoxicated Roxas, "I was out-"

"WHAT!?"

Axel raised his voice but still spoke under the volume of the music, "I was out with Zexion!"

Roxas' grin widened, "Zexion!? How's he been, man!?"

Axel chuckled, "He's been better! Where's the booze?"

"Follow me, man!"

Roxas stumbled through the small crowed and in between the two women and stoner; they scoffed at him as he passed, Axel apologizing for the intrusion. They made their way down the small hall to the master bedroom. Axel was puzzled, "The bedroom is a strange place to keep alcohol, Roxas."

"No, no man; there's sumthin' better. Jus' wait."

Axel watched as Roxas tore through the drawers of the owner of 8B. Roxas muttered, "Common, man, I know it's here sumwher."

"Know what's here, Roxas?"

Roxas then grinned and laughed, pulling out a needle and an elastic band. Axel's eyes widened, "Heroine? Roxas, you've been drinking, you shouldn't be adding drugs to the mix." He tried to snatch the needle away from Roxas, but he stumbled sideways unintentionally.

"Axellllll! Commonnnnn! Just like ol' times!"

Axel scowled and shook his head, "Those times are over, now give me the damn needle!"

Roxas suddenly became hostile, "No way, man! You'll have to catch me first!" Roxas stumbled past Axel and back out to the party.

_God dammit!_

Axel spun around and came face to face with the owner of the apartment, "Hey, what the fuck are you doing in my bedroom." His breath reeked of alcohol.

Axel kept a cool face, "I'm looking for my friend."

The owner's eyes lazily wandered toward his dresser drawers. Noticing this, Axel hadn't planned to stick around any longer, and he pushed the man aside onto the bed and made his way out the door. His head spun around from the living room to the kitchen in search for his friend. Sadly, Roxas was no longer in the apartment. Cursing under his breath, Axel rushed outside and leaned over the railing of the balcony, searching the parking lot frantically. Soon he had spotted Roxas leaping into a car that wasn't his, and watched it pull out toward the road.

_Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!_

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Marluxia watched Zexion sleep soundly on his couch. He let out a sigh and sat down at his kitchen table. Axel was taking a while to finish his cigarette, but Marluxia didn't think that much of it. Axel had had a rough night as far as he was concerned, and didn't want to bother him. Sometimes he wished their parents were still around to whip Axel into shape. It was something Marluxia wouldn't ever be able to do.

Zexion let out a soft snore and kicked off the blanket Axel had left on top of him. He should be out for a while; he had practically drunk himself into a coma. Marluxia let his mind wander to other things before stopping on the subject of Kairi.

_So Zex is staying with a girl… out of all the friends he could have stayed with, he chose a complete stranger…_

Marluxia had known Zexion his entire life, and never once had he mentioned Kairi. And the trouble that Zexion had with girls made him think twice about the decision he had made. He leaned back in his chair and put his feet on the table, playing with one of his gold earrings. His mind went back to thinking about Axel before he heard tires skidding outside.

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**A/N: Andddd scene! I'll see if I can get some more writing in tonight. I'm getting a little sleepy, but I could really go for a snack! Popcorn maybe. Anyway, hope you enjoyed, be sure to R/R!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Raisin bran does the body good… on to the next chapter x3!**

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Kairi woke up to the sound of the creaking staircase. Opening her eyes barely, she glanced over at the clock on her nightstand. It blinked: 11:45pm. She let out a quiet groan, rolling onto her back and closing her eyes again. Her head felt like it was spinning, she was afraid to turn the bedroom light on; afraid the room might actually be spinning. The upper half of her body felt extremely numb for some reason; maybe she had been sleeping funny. She sat up slowly and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Her mind was all over the place and she had a hard time standing up on her two feet.

Somehow she made her way over to the light switch and flipped it upward. The light was blinding and woke Silvey, who began to chirp at the sight of Kairi. Every chirp made Kairi's head pound. She quickly grabbed the small back of crackers and took one out, slipping it into the bird's cage, "Shhh!" Silvey ate the cracker in delight not making another sound.

Kairi took a deep breath and opened the door, stepping into the kitchen. Listening closely, she could hear her parents walking up to their bedroom for the night. Tonight's events were a blur to Kairi at the moment. Taking another deep breath, she made her way to the sliding glass door and outside. The cool summer breeze against her face felt like heaven, and the way the grass tickled her feet made her smile a bit.

She began to wake up a bit more as she made her way to the shed that was considered Zexion's bedroom. She rapped on the door lightly a couple times and cleared her throat, "Zexion?"

No answer…

She knocked again, "Z-Zexion?"

Still no answer…

Kairi turned the doorknob slowly and opened the door. She pulled the string the turned the light bulb on the ceiling on. The room contained a mattress in the corner covered with sheets from inside the house, an open suitcase in another corner, and a journal sitting on top of the travel sized pillow; but no Zexion. Kairi rubbed her eyes with the balls of her hands and stepped into the shed, sitting down on the edge of the mattress.

She massaged her temples slowly trying to recollect memories of the night.

_Okay… Axel… w-we ran into Axel… and went to… The bar… And Zexion went off with… With that girl…_

Kairi couldn't remember anything after that. She let out a soft groan before standing up,

_Where's Zexion? Where is Axel? How the hell did I get home!?_

Frustrated, she kicked Zexion's suitcase knocking a couple articles of clothing out onto the floor, and stormed out of the shed, slamming the door shut behind her. She let out a sob of confusion and crouched down feeling the grass cool on her knees. Why was she so cold all of a sudden?

_...where the fuck are my clothes?_

Kairi stood up and looked down at her body being covered by only her bra and panties. Her body began to heat up and her face burn as she ran back inside and into her bedroom, closing the door behind her. She could feel her heart flutter about in her chest as she took a deep breath and tried to focus.

_Okay… think Kairi, think… how do we find Zexion?_

Then she remembered she had his number programed into her cellphone. She searched her room frantically for her cellphone and finally found it buried in her sheets from the night before. Flipping it open, she dialed Zexion's number quickly.

**.**…*.***..**…*.*…*.*..**..*.**..***

Zexion's cellphone vibrated in the right pocket of his cargo shorts and woke him from his slumber. He snorted softly and opened his eyes. He tried sitting up, but failed and ending up falling onto the carpet. Marluxia sat up from the kitchen table and rushed over to Zexion, sitting him up against the couch, "Hey doll, you alright?"

Zexion was too exhausted to answer, so he just grunted and motioned toward his right pocket. Marluxia heard the phone and reached into the pocket pulling it out quickly. He didn't bother to read the caller I.D. and flipped it open pressing the "take call" button and holding it up to his ear, "Hello?"

A woman's voice spoke on the other end, she sounded frantic, "Hello? Zexion?"

"No, dear, this is Marly; is this Kairi?"

Kairi's voice relaxed a bit, "Marluxia? Where's Zexion?"

"Passed out on my sofa, he's fine, really. How are you, did you make it home safe?"

Kairi's tone changed, "Well, that's the thing, I don't remember getting home."

"Oh, dear, my brother took you home."

"Axel? He took me home?"

"Yeah, after you had destroyed the women's restroom," he chuckled, "Then I picked him up on the bridge off Beach Lane after my shift and brought him home with Zex."

"So they're safe? They're both with you and not in the road?"

Marluxia laughed and looked at Zexion, who had fallen back asleep, "Zex is, I think my brother went out for a walk."

He could almost hear her smile on the other end of the line, "Alright, do you mind giving me an address I can reach you at?"

"Uhm, sure, the apartment building on Marabell, apartment 2B."

Marluxia could hear Kairi writing down the address on a piece of paper, "Alright, I know where that is, do you mind if I visit tonight?"

"Of course I don't mind, go right ahead."

"Alright, thank you!"

**..*..***..*….***…*.**..***…*….****

Kairi hung up the phone and sighed in relief. She pulled on a pair of blue jeans and a white t-shirt and sprinted out of her bedroom, her head feeling so much clearer. Pulling on her low top converse out the door, she glanced at the piece of paper balled up in her fist

_Apartment on Marabell, 2B_

Kairi sprinted down the street, oblivious to what was going on around her. She ran as far as her legs could carry her before she stopped for a moment to breathe. Ahead of her were a pair of headlights; she couldn't tell if they were swerving from her point of view or if they were really swerving. They got brighter as they approached her, and she realized the car was heading straight for her. She didn't even have time to blink before the hood of the car came in contact with her hip, and sent her to the ground under its wheels.

**..**…*..***…..**..***..**..**…**..*..**

**A/N: Well shit… Hope you enjoyed :3 R/R, goodnight!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: let's see what happens next, shall we?**

**..**…*..***.*…*.**…***.**…*..***..*.****

Roxas was only about two miles away from the party before he heard a loud rumbling sound under the car. Cursing at himself, he swung the car door open and looked at the hood of the car. There was a small dent on the corner of the hood. "Shit…"

Rubbing his temples stressfully, he leaned over and glanced under the car. There was a shadowy figure lying on the road; so twisted and mangled that Roxas couldn't really tell what it was. Not only that, everything was blurry and dark. He just assumed he had hit an animal, stepped back into the car, and drove back off into the night.

Kairi's body was left behind knocked out cold from the impact her head had made with the road; her hand still clutching the slip of paper with Marluxia's address.

Axel made his way around the corner; he had been chasing Roxas the whole two miles. He stopped to catch his breath, cupping his hands together and placing them on top of his head breathing deeply. All those years of track had really paid off. He continued to walk forward being sure not to fall behind any more than he already had. As he took a few more steps forward he noticed something at the end of the block. A couple more steps and his vision became clear; it was a body.

_Oh god…_

He rushed over to the figure and kneeled down beside it, "Are you okay!?"

He rolled the body over so they were facing up and came face to face with Kairi. Axel felt like his heart had skipped a beat, or even exploded. In a panic, he cradled Kairi's upper body in his arms and shook her gently, "Kairi, wake up!"

She gave no response, not even a groan. Axel gritted his teeth and held Kairi's body against his chest; tears stinging in his eyes, threatening to spill. He couldn't waste any more time; he summoned all the strength in his upper body and lifted Kairi's body up. The hospital was only about a mile beyond Marluxia's apartment. He just hoped to god he would get there before it was too late.

**..**.***..*…*..*..***..*…*..*.**.**…*.**

Zexion opened his eyes; he felt like he had been sleeping for hours. As he grabbed a hold of the couch and stood himself up, Marluxia walked back into the living room, "Good morning sunshine; I thought you would be up soon." He spoke calmly as he handed Zexion a small glass of water, "On the house."

Zexion gave a smirk and took the glass, downing it in two seconds flat, "How long was I out?"

"Only about 3 hours," Marluxia sat back at the kitchen table, "Kairi called."

Zexion's expression changed suddenly, "Kairi called? When?"

"Oh, about fifteen minutes ago. She seemed really concerned about you, so I gave her the address to the apartment for her to visit."

Zexion smiled, "So she should be here soon?"

Marluxia, "Maybe, to bitch you out."

"Bitch me out? Why would she do that?"

"Do you remember anything that happened at the bar?"

Zexion thought for a moment… "I had just a little bit too much to drink, that's all."

"Yeah, and you were all up on this skank. You should have seen Kairi's reaction. She seemed so angry; I think she really likes you Zex."

Zexion hadn't thought about it much because he was oblivious to these kinds of things unless you were straightforward about them. Kairi hadn't shown any signs of affection toward him as far as he had noticed; was it possible she did like him?

His thoughts were cut off by the sound of Marluxia's phone ringing on the kitchen counter; the theme song to The L Word was his ringtone. Marluxia stood up quickly and answered it, "Hello?"

A panicking Axel was on the other line, "Marly, I'm at the hospital, there's been an accident."

Marluxia started to panic too, thinking of all the worst possibilities, "What kind of accident?"

"Please, I'll explain later, just come here as soon as possible; don't forget to bring Zexion. I need to talk to him too."

"But-

Axel had hung up…

"Hello?"

The only thing he heard was dial tone. Swearing under his breath, he shoved the phone into his back pocket and rushed toward the door grabbing his jacket on the way, "Zexion, we need to go."

"Go?"

"Axel's in the hospital and he needs us."

As soon as Zexion understood what Marluxia had said, he wasted no time following him out of the apartment.

**..**..***..**.**…*.*…**..***…*.**

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to finish, got caught up in some other crap. Hope you enjoyed, don't forget to R/R!**


	14. Chapter 14

Doctors rushed back and forth in the hallways, shouting commands at each other and pushing Kairi into the operating room on a gurney. Axel flipped his cellphone closed but kept it balled up in his fist as he watched the doors close. He was certain it was Roxas was the one who had hit her, there was no doubt. The cheap florescent lights flickered above him, giving him a terrible headache. Suddenly, a doctor with bleach blonde hair and piercing blue eyes approached Axel, "Excuse me," he spoke in a strong English accent, "I'm Doctor Garret, Luxord Garret; chief of staff."

Axel was so stressed he just wanted to snap at Dr. Garret, but he knew it wouldn't have done any good, "Please, tell me, is Kairi going to be alright?" he spoke as he tightened his grip on his cell phone.

"Your friend's right hip seems to have been shattered in the accident; along with a lot of blood loss due to external and internal bleeding, and a fracture to the skull. We are doing all we can to save her…"

He paused, letting the information sink in. Axel could barely stand, and this is when Dr. Garret took him by the shoulders gently and sat him down on a nearby bench, "Sir-"

"A-Axel… my name is Axel…" his voice shook with every word he spoke.

"Yes… Axel… Do you know who this girl is? I am going to have to contact her parents and inform them on what has happened to their daughter."

"I-I just met her today… Her n-name… Kairi… Kairi I-Izumi. Her parents own the S-Stardust Café…"

_Oh god… her parents…_

Axel's head began to spin. He slouched over and tucked his head between his knees as an attempt to get ahold of himself. Dr. Garret placed a cool and collected hand on Axel's back, "Axel, I need to know, if you are withholding any information about the accident, the police with charge you with accessory to crime."

Axel sat up slowly and took in a deep breath, "I understand…"

"If you need some time to collect yourself, I understand. You look like an innocent boy."

Axel kept his head down and muttered, "It's all my fault…"

"Excuse me?"

Suddenly, Marluxia and Zexion stepped into the entrance to the hallway, "Axel, we're here, is everything alright? You're okay, right?"

Axel didn't speak, he only let his head hand. Dr. Garret caught the message, and made his way over to Marluxia and Zexion. He held out his hand out to Marluxia, whom he had recognized from the weekend trips to the bar in town, "Mr. Marluxia, I'm Dr. Garret, chief of staff."

"Nice to meet you sir; is my brother okay?"

Dr. Garret smiled, "Axel is completely fine, it's his friend who's in the operating room at the moment. There seems to have been a car accident."

Marluxia turned his gaze toward his brother sitting behind Dr. Garret, "His friend? Axel, who is the doctor talking about?"

Axel kept quiet…

All Axel heard was the muffled shuffling of feet and voices in the other rooms, and vision was blurry with tears that he had not yet let go. It was as if the world he knew didn't exist, and he was in a world of his own; all by himself. Zexion walked over to Axel and crouched in front of him, "Axel, please, you need to tell us what happened." He spoke sternly; he had shaken off the drowsiness in the car on the way to the hospital.

Axel couldn't hear his friend's pleading; he could only stare down at the white tiles.

Dr. Garret spoke up for Axel, "He seems to be in shock; it's best to give him some room to breathe, please." He pulled Zexion by the shoulder gently, "I would like the two of you to come to my office, and I can fill you in on what Axel has told me."

Marluxia's brow furrowed and he put on a scowl, "Will my brother be alright my himself?"

"It's just in the hall over, please, follow me…"

**.**.**…*..***..*..***…*…*.*.***..*..*.**

Marluxia and Zexion both sat and listened to Dr. Garret's tale. Marluxia held back tears due to the emotional situation, and Zexion had to grip onto the arms of the chair, keeping himself from standing up and punching the wall.

"I-I just spoke to her half an hour ago… she was on her way to come see Zexion when… oh, god…"

Marluxia slouched in the chair, placing his hands at both sides of his head, "It's all my fault…"

Zexion clenched his jaw; he couldn't bring himself to say anything.

_No… it's my fault…_

"Please, this accident was no one's fault but the driver who hit her. The police have been contacted, and they will make it their goal to find out who did this."

Zexion opened his mouth, "Her parents…"

"Yes, I have the receptionist trying to reach them at this moment…"

"Please, tell me she's… she's going to be alright…?" Zexion's voice shook, he dug his nails into the arms of the chair.

Dr. Garret noticed this and placed a hand on Zexion's shoulder, only to have it shaken off, "Our top doctors are doing what they can."

Suddenly, Zexion shot up from the chair, throwing it back against the wall. He grabbed Dr. Garret by his white coat and pulled him close, "Will she live!?"

Dr. Garret was nearly half a foot taller than Zexion, he wasn't scared. He placed his hand over Zexion's and removed them from his coat, "Given the circumstances, we cannot be certain. Please, calm down."

Zexion didn't want to listen to Dr. Garret anymore; he spun around, flung the office door open, and sprinted over to the next hallway where Axel sat.

He picked Axel up by the collar of his shirt and looked him dead in the eye, "You know what happened! You bastard, tell me what happened!"

This caught the attention of a passing nurse, "Sir! If you don't put that boy down, I'll have to call security!"

Zexion ignored her and spoke through gritted teeth, "Tell me what happened!"

He continued to look into Axel's eyes and finally…

The tears in Axel's eyes, they spilled. Zexion loosened his grip on his friend, "A… Axel…"

Zexion hadn't seen Axel cry since the last time he attempted suicide…

They wrapped their arms around each other and wept for each other; for Kairi.

…****.**..***..*.*..*…*.*…***..*..*..**..**

**A/N: Hello! Listen, school is about to start back up again. I won't have a whole lot of time to write. But I have made it my goal to finish as much as I can before the new school year begins! The good news is: I will be taking 2 English classes to improve my writing skills! Giving me a better insight on things, and giving you a better reading experience. Be sure you R/R!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Okay, a lot of shit has happened to me over the past few months. I thought maybe I'd make everything that happened into a story and just use Kingdom Hearts characters to represent my friends and family and myself, because I feel that it would make a truly interesting multiple part story that you guys would enjoy; but not now, my heart just can't handle it right now. So I figured I would continue some stories that you guys have been dying to continue reading. I really need an escape from everything. I hope you enjoy**

"Oh god, my baby; please tell me my baby's going to be okay!" Kairi's mother screeched at Dr. Garret as her husband held her back, her fists flying in the air.

"We are doing everything we can, please, Mrs. Izumi, I must ask you to leave. Visiting hours are over and you are causing a disturbance to the other patients-

"Oh, _**fuck **_the other patients; _**just let me see my daughter!**_"

"_Amalphea," _Tyler hushed his wife, "Please, let's go home and let the doctors do their job."

Amalphea's knees gave and she went nearly limp in her husband's arms, "She should have been in bed," she sobbed, "She's in her bed _right now _and this is all just a dream. This isn't really happening…"

"Shhh…"

Tyler thanked Dr. Garret for calling and took his wife to the front of the hospital where Axel, Marluxia, and Zexion were standing out in the parking lot. Amalphea was too dazed to notice the three, but Tyler noticed out of the corner of his eye, and he was almost positive that Zexion was the reason Kairi was out at this hour and ended up getting hit. He carefully took his wife to the car and let her sit in the passenger seat, "Don't go anywhere sweetie, I'll be right back."

Zexion noticed Tyler close the car door and make his way toward the group, "Shit…"

"Mr. Reed," Tyler spoke approaching the young boy with sapphire eyes blazing, "May I have a word with you."

Tyler was nearly on top of Zexion before he had a chance to say anything. Zexion was grabbed by the shirt collar and pulled away from the group. All Axel and Marluxia could do was stand by and watch to see if any punches would be thrown.

"Sir, I can explain-

"Don't try to crawl your way out of this one, Mr. Reed. I saw the way my daughter looks at you; you have her under your fucking thumb. Tell me, what was she doing out at this hour? Huh?" The rage continued to build in his voice, a similar rage that resembled Zexion's father when he was drunk. The tone was making Zexion extremely uncomfortable, Marluxia could tell.

Marluxia decided to cut in, "Excuse me, ah, Mr. Izumi, was it?"

Tyler turned his head to look at Marluxia. He looked him up and down before he spoke, "You… I know you. You work at the bar downtown; why are you here?"

"You see, Zexion is my younger brother's friend, and-

Tyler ignored every word that came out of Marluxia's mouth, "What the hell is a faggot bartender doing here when my daughter is in the hospital getting surgery?"

The words stung, but Marluxia understood Tyler's anger and stood his ground, "I was the one who picked up the phone when your daughter called Zexion! I was the one who gave her the address to my apartment so she could come see him! I was the one-!

Tyler didn't want to hear anymore, he balled his hand into a fist and raised it to strike Marluxia. "No!" Axel cried, cutting in between his brother and Kairi's father. He expanded his arms like wings of protection, an asylum for Marluxia. While this was happening, Zexion grabbed Tyler's fist from behind and held onto it so that it couldn't hurt anyone.

Time stood still for the four; cars pulling in and out of the parking lot, Amalphea's sobs from the passenger seat, the opening and closing of the hospital doors, everything slowed down and became background noise…

Tyler lowered relaxed his hand so that Zexion would let go… "You…" He turned around and looked Zexion dead in the eye, "Never come around my family again… you got that…?"

Zexion knew better than to argue and could only nod slowly. Tyler took his leave, pulling out of the parking lot with haste. The three boys stood outside of the hospital in silence. The silence was broken by the rumbling of thunder above them, and sooner than anticipated, it began to pour.

Nobody seemed to care that they were getting drenched, in a way they all felt responsible for the accident…

Suddenly an ambulance truck pulled around the corner to the doors to the emergency room. This got their attention; the paramedics threw the doors in the back open and released a gurney onto the pavement. Surgeons in already ready to scrub in rushed out of the hospital asking all sorts of questions.

"Male, seventeen or eighteen, wrapped his car around a phone pole on the outskirts of town."

Axel's eyes widened as he watched the culprit for Kairi's accident being wheeled into the hospital to be treated for his injuries.

"Zexion…"

Zexion looked at Axel with dead eyes, like there was no soul left, "Yeah…?"

Axel glanced back at his brother, "Marluxia, go home. I think I'll walk home tonight."

"Are you sure, walking in this weather could get you sick."

"I'll be alright, really; Go home."

They said their goodbyes and Axel grabbed Zexion by the shoulder and took him back into the hospital lobby, "We gotta talk about something…"

**A/N: I'm afraid that's all for tonight. I can't afford to lose any sleep tonight, so I'll pick up where I left off tomorrow. I hope you enjoyed. Thank you for reading. Be sure to review; it gives me the motivation. Thank you.**


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